“And then I end up spending far more time looking for the cut I made than if I had just left it alone.
And for that reason, I actually stopped cutting the challah before hamotzi about a year ago. I realized that it was doing more harm than good.”
Which just underscores why when one looks into the reasons for a minhag or a halacha they should do so only academically. Your little mind decided that this is the only reason and therefore you feel it is right to discontinue a minhag that was started by much greater Yidden than yourself? The minhag survives the generations until it reaches you?
Please show respect for real minhagim and do not try to reevaluate what you may not understand.